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Why Your Colors Always Miss the Mark (and my Method To Fix It)
Published 3 months ago • 3 min read
One of the most frustrating challenges for beginners is color mixing. The problem is that most people mix randomly, adding one pigment after another without a clear method.
Stop Guessing with Pigments
Mix Any Color with my “Base + Tone + Nuance” Formula
The solution I want to share with you today is what I call the “Base + Tone + Nuance” method—a practical way to mix colors with precision, every single time. The recipe is simple:
Base (60%): the weaker pigment that forms the body of the mixture.
Tone (30%): the main hue, the closest match to the target color.
Nuance (10%): the strong pigment that makes the final adjustment.
This 60-30-10 structure creates balance and prevents overmixing. And the beauty of the method is that it works with any palette, regardless of which pigments you own.
To prove it, we’ll analyze and recreate the color world of John William Waterhouse’s Ulysses and the Sirens (1891). His canvas is alive with a symphony of earthy reds, muted greens, and deep ocean blues—and with the right method, we can reproduce them.
John William Waterhouse - Ulysses and the Sirens (1891)
The “Base + Tone + Nuance” Method Explained
Let’s break it down step by step.
1- When we mix a color, the most important decision is choosing the Tone. That’s our starting point: what tube gets us closest to the color we’re aiming for. For example, in Waterhouse’s sails, the dominant pinkish-reds suggest a “tone” of Venetian Red or Indian Red.
2- Next, we add the Base. This is where strategy matters: the base is usually a weaker pigment, one that can build volume and darken or lighten the mixture without overwhelming it. Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna, Naples Yellow or Titanium White are classic bases because they have low tinting strength.
3- Finally, we add the Nuance—just a touch of a strong pigment to tweak the chroma. Think of Alizarin Crimson to enrich a red, Phthalo Blue to push a green colder, or Cadmium Orange to warm up a muted tone. Nuance is the “seasoning” of color mixing: a little goes a long way.
When you follow this 60-30-10 proportion, you avoid the chaos of dumping strong pigments together and losing control. Instead, you’re sculpting the mixture deliberately.
The Order of Mixing: Hue → Value → Chroma
Another key to success is the order of operations. I call it HVC: Hue, Value, Chroma.
Hue – Start with the Tone pigment to get the color direction right (is it red, blue, green, etc.?).
Value – Adjust the lightness or darkness using the Base pigment (white, ochre, or even black if needed).
Chroma – Finally, fine-tune the saturation with the Nuance pigment (those strong, high-tinting colors).
This systematic approach prevents the common mistake of chasing color endlessly—darkening with one pigment, lightening with another, then suddenly losing the hue altogether. With HVC, you know exactly which step comes next.
Look again at Ulysses and the Sirens. The stormy green-blue of the sea? It can be done with a Prussian blue “tone,” tempered by a Yellow Ochre “base,” and nudged into harmony with a touch of Alizarin “nuance” if it needs to be more purple.
Try it for yourself using our Resource Plate : Hue → Value → Chroma, in order.
Navigating the Color Wheel with Confidence
At the heart of this method is navigation. Color mixing isn’t about memorizing recipes—it’s about knowing how to travel from one point on the color wheel to another.
The “Base + Tone + Nuance” method is your compass. It ensures you’re never lost, even when tackling complex harmonies like Waterhouse’s muted reds against deep greens.
And here’s the liberating part: once you master this system, you can eventually forget it. Like training wheels, the method is here to guide you until your instincts sharpen. Later, you’ll mix more intuitively, with freedom and confidence.
But first, you need structure—and this is it.
Wrap-up
So next time you’re at the easel, don’t fall into the trap of random mixing. Think strategically: Base (60%) + Tone (30%) + Nuance (10%). Follow the HVC order—Hue first, Value second, Chroma last—and you’ll never be at the mercy of your palette again.
Waterhouse’s Ulysses and the Sirens proves the point: precise colors, alive with subtlety, all achievable with method.
Take this into your own work and practice with three pigments at a time. When you start controlling your mixtures instead of letting them control you, that’s when painting really begins to sing.
Free Art Newsletter filled with the best oil painting and drawing tips, directly from the Atelier tradition. Timeless techniques to enjoy weekly to grow and inspire.
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